John Henry Wesley Paintings

JOHN HENRY WESLEY - American - ( 1947 -

"At eight a a couple of years after I was privileged to be under the instruction of Mrs. Winters, water-colorist and oil landscape painter, and inherited from mother my habit of weekly attending gallery openings.

El Camino High School: John Coates and Cassandra Davies taught me to stretch canvas and throw on the wheel. I received Honorable Mention in show at the Crocker Art Gallery. My ceramic entry premiered right next to Andrew Wyeth's "Martha's World." another opportunity to show in the Breuners Student Art Exhibition, Honors included personal encouragement from Wayne Thiebald.

1965 Brought me to Boulder, I studied silver construction and lost wax technique under Allen Burgeson. Then University of Colorado as a Fine Arts Major. I dropped out to pursue a career, built a micro foundry, when a fellow discovered my overriding interest in casting. Papa Jeff Royce offered to buy every belt buckle I could make for a year. He did and I continued the project until 1978 all original designs.

As fashions changed, mosaics and commercial ceramic, glass, and stone tile setting with a mind to the classics, of over-and-under patterns became my next livelihood in those more industrial arts.

By the early 1980's began my interest in river rafting & kayaking. The University of Colorado Kayak Club drew me back to school. Gas welding Steel sculptures in series became my next incarnation as Artist. Two series, one of sculptures in the shape of Television Sets, another in the shapes of Neolithic Madonnas predominated the endeavor. Sustained for ten years, only worked directly in the finished steel material. Primarily represented by Cure Gallery in Hollywood, and Stage House II in Boulder. Collected by Who's including Jell-O-Biafra, Buck Henry, Allie McGraw, Roger Ebert, and Shelly Schlender.

Mid 90's a return to the University of a Degree with Honors in Psychology, and then the MCJ. Hiatus from studio ended in 2005. A return to the two dimensions of drawn line and stretched canvas.

THIS IS WHAT I KNOW: THE GOLDEN POOTIES, BABIES, THE SOMERSALTING CUPIDS, CUTIES

THE ANGELS AND ALL THE IMPS BY NAME, TREACLEY SWEET WATERMELON RIPE

GREEN FIELDS, BLUE SKIES, AND YELLOW SUNSHINE

ADRIANNIE'S WEDDING TO BACCHUS A CROWN OF IVY

WHERE AND WHEN THE PLEIADES CAME FROM

PAN'S HAREM OF FORGET-ME-NOTS HIGH IN THE ALPINE

BRIGHT RED SUMMER TROUT SPAWNING

IN HEAD WATERS OF AUDUBON'S MOUNTAIN

MAMMOTH IVORY VENUS FLOATING SHOREWARD

ON A GIANT CLAM-SHELL A LA SANDRO BOTTICELLI

THE MOOD, THE CLASSICS, WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, AND THE FALL

I love to paint it. Insufficient for me to sign my name to an everyday found object, confound the meaning of art and then present my genius. I spin a different yarn than that. As legitimate as the entire process of doing these kind of pieces obviously is I may be missing an opportunity to work in a form my self-delusions steer me from.

Yet, I salute Duchamp's urinal.

For so long as I remember the faux has fascinated me. Kitsch, trompe l'oells, tricky nonsense, bizarre bric-a-brac, trumpery, anomalies, miracles, the just plane weird, even grotesque, and lightning."

John Henry Wesley - 2009

***********************************************